YORK’S triumphant Labour leader has laid out his party’s vision for the city’s future after it steamrollered its way to election victory.

Holgate councillor James Alexander will become City of York Council’s new leader later this month at the age of only 29 following a shift in the city’s balance of political power.

Needing six seats to assume control at last week’s local elections, Labour captured eight to send the Liberal Democrats tumbling. Labour will officially take charge at the council’s annual meeting on May 26, with the party set to confirm who will fill the key roles on the authority’s new-look executive this week.

Coun Alexander today outlined Labour’s promises to the city.

He said: “The Lib Dems had become divided, obstructive to change and insular, but we will be the residents’ voice in the council, not the council’s voice among residents.

“We will soon propose a new financial motion to the council reversing just under £1 million of cuts previously approved by Lib Dem and Conservative councillors.

“We will pay for this by increasing recycling and lowering the amount we pay in landfill tax, and scrapping a new £1.4 million council office the Lib Dems planned to build in Acomb.

“Increases in flood defence funding will also be awarded when we sell the land purchased for that scheme.”

Coun Alexander wants to meet the community stadium project’s key players “as soon as possible” and hopes to encourage York City Knights executive chairman John Guildford, who has called for the scheme to be abandoned, to “engage” with it.

But he added: “I want to see all the information on the scheme I was previously not allowed to see under the Lib Dems on the proviso of it being commercially sensitive.”

He confirmed Labour is to scrap the controversial ftr “bendy-bus” service.

He said: “We will soon be writing to its operator First to explain we will not be renewing the agreement with the council to keep ftrs on the road.”

Coun Alexander said his party will increase targets for the number of York houses to be built each year, saying: “The current Local Development Framework is not sound and will be rejected by the Government, putting the Green Belt at risk from uncontrolled development.

“Our plans will define and protect the Green Belt while providing housing for local people.”

Labour has pledged to put more council money into the Access York scheme, aimed at building new Park&Ride sites, if the Government awards the rest of the funding, and the party will also analyse information it says it was “not previously privy to” on the York Central scheme, which Coun Alexander described as “essential for our economy”.

He also said he wanted to find an independent chair for a new “fairness commission” to discuss the future of York’s public services with residents, and begin its meetings soon.

Labour’s team of councillors includes 11 new faces, but Coun Alexander said: “New councillors – in all parties – will bring new ideas, fresh thinking and an open political culture to York.

“We’re really looking forward to it and we’re raring to go. We want to make sure we make a difference and repay the trust people have placed in us.”

James Alexander in profile

• Born: February 27, 1982, in Hammersmith, London. Was born James Martin Glasgow – his mother’s maiden name – and raised in a single-parent family, never meeting his real father. Adopted by his mother’s new husband aged 11 and took the name Alexander.

• Marital status: Lives in Holgate with his long-term girlfriend.

• Education: Attended Burlington Danes Comprehensive School and Cardinal Vaughan Catholic Memorial School in London; studied politics and economic history at the University of York between 2001 and 2004.

• Employment history: Has worked for members of the Houses of Parliament and different political parties and Government departments, local councils, media organisations, communications companies and universities. Has also worked in electrical retail in shops such as Currys and Jessops. His roles include being a temporary human resources administrator at City of York Council, deputy editor at De Havilland/Emap Communications, and a project and outreach officer at York St John University.

• Political history: Was treasurer and president of University of York Students’ Union and election agent and constituency organiser for Hammersmith and Fulham Labour Party. Elected Holgate councillor in 2007 and has since chaired City of York Council’s children’s services, gambling and licensing, and health overview and scrutiny committees as well as being the authority’s children and young people’s champion for two years. Stood as Labour’s York Outer candidate at last year’s General Election and has led the Labour group since last May.

• Political hero: John F Kennedy.

• Favourite place in York: The City Screen bar next to the River Ouse.

• Favourite food/drink: Fish karahi from the Viceroy restaurant/Dr Pepper.

• Favourite film/TV: The Time Machine (1960 version)/Star Trek.

• Favourite music: Everything from ’80s to rap.

• Hobbies/interests: Photography, music, TV, film, technology and cinema.